Chapter 99 – Transcendence of Self
Noah stood before Echidna.
He should have felt dread—overwhelmed by the awe-inspiring divinity emanating from this being.
And in truth, he did.
But that emotion was eclipsed by the sting of two shimmering panels floating in his vision:
[Zara’s feelings for you have decreased to 30%.]
[Selene’s feelings for you have increased to 100%.]
Two notifications. Two opposing meanings. Both struck his heart with a deep, conflicting dread.
"What the hell happened for Zara’s feelings to drop so drastically?"
His brow furrowed, shadows deepening in his silver eyes. His aura pulsed, unstable.
And then—Selene. His mother. Her feelings had breached a point he had always hoped would never come.
"Over 90%...damn it."
That number didn’t just mean maternal love. It meant desire. A shift beyond boundaries that should never be crossed.
His thoughts swirled, pounding behind his temples like a migraine made of guilt, confusion, and unwanted truths.
"You seem distracted," Echidna’s voice echoed, breaking through the storm in his mind.
She had returned to her human form—casual, almost playful. Yet her eyes never lost their divine sharpness.
Noah inhaled deeply, his expression resetting into its calm default.
"I’m fine. Just... processing your power," he lied, then smoothly shifted the topic. "You mentioned the Divine Realm. What is it, really?"
Echidna studied him for a moment, then turned away. "It doesn’t matter right now. Time is short. This realm is fragile—especially after my earlier manifestation."
Her tone sharpened. "I didn’t summon you here to lecture you about the divine. I brought you here for a choice."
She turned, her eyes meeting his.
"I need you, Noah Weaverheart. As my champion."
Noah blinked slowly. "Like Elijah is to his goddess?"
"Yes."
She stepped forward.
"You’ve heard it before: to defeat a champion, you must become one. This is a rule as old as the gods themselves."
Noah tilted his head slightly, still processing her words—but something gnawed at him.
"Has no one ever broken that rule?" he asked softly.
Echidna blinked, then smiled bitterly. "A few. Less than five in all of recorded history. In fact only two succeeded."
"Then it’s not a rule. It’s a habit."
Her smile vanished.
"Noah," she said coldly, "do not confuse exceptions with possibilities."
"These... things... who triumphed without divine backing—they are not heroes. They are mistakes. Things the universe regrets allowing to exist."
Her voice darkened.
"They are abominations. And we have sworn: no third will ever rise."
She looked him dead in the eye.
"If you try to be like them... you will die. Not by me. But from the universe itself."
"So don’t be stubborn. Be my champion, with your current talent you can be something that even divine beings like me will respect."
Noah didn’t speak immediately. He absorbed her words carefully. The warning was real. The threat even more so.
But then he asked, without arrogance:
"What did they have that I don’t?"
His voice was still.
"If they managed it... then what do they have more than me?"
"Was it power? Conviction? Will?"
"Or was it just that they refused to accept what the world said was possible?"
He took a step forward, his silver eyes sharp with something unshakable.
"I need to know... What do I lack?"
Echidna stared at him, her expression unreadable.
She wanted to say everything. That he was still young, untested. That those other beings weren’t just strong—they were inhuman. Insane. Uncontainable.
But none of those things applied to Noah, did they?
And that... unsettled her.
Her voice, when it returned, was softer. "Even if you survived... you would have to fight the universe itself. Are you ready for that?"
The silence hung between them like a blade.
Then—
’System’ Noah asked, ’is it worth the risk?’
[Only you can answer that, Host.]
[What matters more to you—safety, or freedom?]
Noah closed his eyes for a moment.
He could feel it—every chain, every expectation, every role they wanted him to fit into. Champion. Weapon. Pawn.
He exhaled slowly, then opened his eyes again.
And smiled.
A simple and carefree smile.
He was done holding back.
"If I die... then so be it."
"But I won’t live a life shaped by fear."
"You all said I am arrogant, yes I am. And I didn’t give a damn about it."
"I won’t chain myself just to make others feel safe."
"I don’t need to. Because either way nothing touch what’s mine."
He stepped forward, aura expanding around him like a second skin.
"I’ve seen too many people spend their lives running from death—only to find they were never living at all."
"How pathetic would that kind of life be?"
"I’m not afraid to be hated. Not afraid to be alone. Not even afraid to die."
After all I already experienced death once...
"What I fear... is becoming less than I am."
His voice rose.
"You want me to kneel for power?"
"I am power."
"You want me to follow your path to survive?"
"I make paths."
His silver eyes blazed. His aura erupted. His understanding of himself increasing steadily.
"You said I don’t understand limits."
"You’re right."
"Because I was never meant to."
[Your title ’Limitless’ is acting.]
Noah raised his hand. His aura surged like a flood—boundless, brilliant.
[You are approaching the concept of Limitlessness...]
"I don’t need blessing."
"I don’t need protection."
"I don’t need to become anything."
Because—
"I am."
A pause.
"I am Noah Weaverheart."
An enlightenment—!
An enlightenment about the concept of limitlessness itself.
No— Not only limitlessness, but beyond that!
His aura detonated.
[You are comprehending Limitlessness.]
[You are surpassing it...]
Then—
The Akashic records chimed in.
{FASCINATING!}
{Your title ’Limitless’ has been revoked.}
{You have awakened something beyond title.}
{A unique trait.}
{Something that belongs to no other being in existence. Only you.}
{You are Transcendent.}
{You are Self.}
{You have been granted: Trait – Transcendence of Self.}
Noah had a deep understanding of himself.
He didn’t run from his self.
No...he embraced it. All of it.
The world around him trembled.
Even Echidna’s expression shifted—from calm, to surprise.
{Noah Weaverheart... truly, you are sublime!}
—End of Chapter 99—